


Story Time With Aziraphale

by ranguvar82



Series: Silence and Strength [43]
Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Gen, Reading, Soft Aziraphale (Good Omens), South Downs Cottage (Good Omens)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 08:40:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24966844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ranguvar82/pseuds/ranguvar82
Summary: Aziraphale loved the village bookstore. He was also quite fond of Marsha Vickers, the owner. So when she asked him to fill in at Story Hour, he of course said yes.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Series: Silence and Strength [43]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1630903
Comments: 16
Kudos: 123





	Story Time With Aziraphale

Story Time With Aziraphale

Aziraphale loved the village bookstore, The Tattered Remnant. It was in a rather lovely brick building, with scaffolding and columns and pots of flowering plants outside. Inside there were narrow shelves, creaky wooden floors, iron staircases that curled towards the ceiling, and several very comfy chairs scattered throughout where one could sit and peruse a book to ones content. There was even a small cafe that sold goods from the Giraffe for consumption.

The owner, Marsha Vickers, was a sweet old lady who had taken an instant shine to Aziraphale. They both shared a love for books, good gossip, and many pots of English breakfast tea, with of course some of Evelyn’s delicious strawberry scones.

Miss Vickers was very much involved in the village life, hosting reading parties and story hours nearly once a month. Aziraphale had attended a few of the reading parties(and shocked everyone with his extensive knowledge of filthy limericks) but had not been to a story hour. In truth, he tried to avoid the bookstore on those days.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like children. He liked them fine. It was, just, well, they were **sticky.** Young children had this almost miraculous ability to get covered in sticky stuff even when standing in an empty room. For an angel who fussed continually over the state of his clothes, this was not an ideal situation to be in. So when Marsha came over to him while he was sitting with Crowley at the Giraffe, looking worried, Aziraphale felt an alarm go off in his head. “Marsha! How lovely to see you.”

“Ezra. Tony. Listen, Ezra, I have a really huge favor to ask you. You know Sally Franks? Usually does the reading for my story hour?” 

The alarm was louder now. “...Yes, we’ve met. Why?” 

Marsha sighed. “Poor dear has laryngitis.  Can’t speak a word. I was hoping, maybe, you would consider…?” Marsha looked so hopeless that Aziraphale felt his heart melt. 

“I would be delighted. What time?” 

Marsha relaxed visibly. “Three o clock tomorrow. I’ve already got the books all lined up. Thank you so much!” She left, and Aziraphale glared at the smirking demon. 

“Don’t start.”

‘Start what?’ Crowley grinned. Aziraphale huffed.

“You know. I couldn’t very well say no, could I? I would have looked like a right cad. But I am worried I will muck this up.”

‘Nah, you’ll be fine. The kids like you too, you know. Hey, you could have your wings out. Special treat.’ 

Aziraphale looked shocked, then grinned. “You know, that’s not a bad idea.” 

The next day, Aziraphale showed up promptly at three. Marsha smiled at him. “You’re right on time. Come on, they’re waiting for you.” She led him into a room where about twenty small children sat on the floor, babbling among themselves. “Children! Settle down, it’s story time! And I’ve got a special treat for you.” She stepped aside.

“EZWAH!” Aziraphale staggered back as the children tackled him. 

“Yes, yes, very glad to see you all too, please go sit now.” A few obeyed, but most just clung to him. “Err...I’ll make a deal with you. If you all sit very still and listen to all the lovely books I’ll be reading, I’ll take my wings out.” There was a clamoring as the children ran to sit. Aziraphale made his way to the front, sitting down in the chair provided. “However, there is a caveat.”

“Wossat?” one of the children asked. 

“Err, a catch. No touching the feathers, they’re sharp. Do we have a deal?” 

“YES EZWAH.” The children echoed. Aziraphale grinned and picked up the first book. 

“ _Where The Wild Things Are_ , by Maurice Sendak. The night Max wore his wolf suit, he made mischief of one kind and another, and his mother called him Wild Thing!” Aziraphale growled, and the children leaned back in fright. “And Max said”, Aziraphale made his voice go deep. “I’ll eat you up!” Aziraphale shook his head. “So he was sent to bed without eating anything...”

The children listened, rapt, as Aziraphale read the story of Max meeting the Wild Things. He made sure to give them all their own voices, and, well, if he used a small miracle to recreate the Wild Rumpus, who would tell? The next book was  _ Stone Soup _ , and Aziraphale read it with as much enthusiasm and theatrics as he had the first one. 

“And that’s the last of them, I’m afraid,” Aziraphale said, setting down the fifth and final book, _One Eyed Jake_. The children had especially enjoyed that last one. 

“AWWW!!!!” 

“Now, come on. You were all very well behaved, so...” Aziraphale stood, made sure that there was nothing breakable in the room, then unfurled his wings. There was a collective gasp. 

“Wanna see you fwy, Ezwah!” One of them shouted, and the cry was picked up by the others. 

“Fwy fwy fwy fwy!”

Aziraphale grinned. “Very well. Outside we go.” 

Crowley was weeding when Aziraphale landed next to him. ‘Hey Angel. How did it go?’ 

“Oh, wonderfully. In fact...would you be adverse to me, well, doing it next week? Marsha says she’s not sure when Sally will recover, and the children did have so much fun...”

‘That sounds great, Angel. See, told you the kids liked you too.’ 

Aziraphale smiled to himself. 


End file.
